The First Day of the Rest of Your Life
by icicle33
Summary: Kurt's 17th birthday is approaching. He knows that things are going to be different this year, better. Something good is coming his way, hopefully in the form of a new Warbler boyfriend. He's counting on his best friends to make his birthday unforgettable. Pairing: Kurt/Blaine. Season 2 AU. Features: fluffy angst, parties at Rachel's house, new friendships, and first kisses.
1. Bananas Foster French Toast

**Title:** The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

**Author:** Icicle33

**Pairings:** Kurt/Blaine, Finn/Rachel (side pairing)

**Rating**: T

**Word count:** ~3000 (in this chapter)

**Warnings:** Season 2 AU, m/m slash, adult language, angst

**Disclaimer:** Glee characters are the property of Ryan Murphy and Fox. I do not own them in anyway and no profit is being made from this story. Don't sue me!

**Summary: **_Kurt's 17th birthday is approaching. He knows that things are going to be different this year, better. Something good is coming his way, hopefully in the form of a new Warbler boyfriend. He's counting on his best friends to make his birthday unforgettable. _

**Author's note: **This story was written for Bradleygirl (on AO3) as a gift!fic for her generous contribution to fandom aid on livejournal. She requested Kurt's 17th birthday and angst. This fic takes place during Season 2, but it's AU as Kurt never transferred to Dalton. In this universe, Carole and Burt are already married, but Finn and Kurt still have some issues to work through. Mercedes is already dating Shane and although Rachel already thinks of Kurt as a friend, he secretly can't stand her.

**Enjoy and please read the Author's note before reading!**

**Note 2: I have re-uploaded this chapter because I fixed some errors. Chapter 2 will be posted tomorrow.**

* * *

_**The First Day of the Rest of Your Life**_

**x x x**

"_The worst feeling in life is not being lonely. It's being forgotten by the people you could never forget." _-Unknown

**x x x**

* * *

**Part 1: Bananas Foster French Toast**

**: : : :**

Kurt's heart thumped against his chest; his breath was shaky and his silk sleep mask felt damp against his cheek. Normally, Kurt tried to turn in early before school. He was a dreadfully irate grouch in the morning and knew that adequate beauty sleep was important not only for his preventive daily skin regime but also to keep his morning mood in check. Tonight, however, it seemed like sleep would be impossible. He was too excited.

His birthday was creeping closer — a few short hours away — and not just any birthday either, his _17th_ birthday. Kurt was finally going to be a man, an adult, at least in his father's eyes and in the wizarding world, even if the state of Ohio didn't agree with him.

Up until now, his high school experience had been far from rewarding. Joining Glee club was probably the best and worst thing ever to happen to him, considering it was social suicide—but Kurt figured that being the only out and proud gay kid at McKinley already made him a target—so he might as well indulge in his love of show tunes and ballads. Still, Kurt had a feeling in his gut that had nothing to do with the weird leftover meatloaf he had eaten for dinner, which told him things were going to change. For the better. Something was coming. Something _Big_. And Kurt could not be happier.

He turned his head and peeked at his alarm clock, flashing bright blue numbers on his nightstand. 11:53. He sighed heavily and reached for his phone.

**_No new messages._**

Kurt frowned and was a bit disappointed that his slew of birthday messages hadn't started arriving yet, but it was fine. There were still seven minutes left until his birthday. He was certain that at the stroke of midnight his phone would start ringing and his inbox would overflow with messages. He just needed to be patient and relax.

Kurt took another series of deep breaths and tried to calm himself. Seven minutes would pass quickly and he wanted to be prepared once his phone started ringing. He needed to sound delighted but surprised, appreciative but not over anxious like he was clutching his phone desperately and willing it to ring. That would never do even if it were true.

At 12:00:01 am exactly Kurt's phone vibrated with a cacophony of samba music. He had set a reminder and alarm to himself, like he would forget.

"I'm 17!" Kurt cried. "Happy Birthday to me!"

He had an urge to jump out of bed and dance around his room in his underwear like he had done last year on his birthday, but he decided that 17 was so much more mature than 16 and a man of his maturity and stature should not indulge in such sophomoric and childish behavior. Instead, he closed his eyes, lay his head back on his pillow, and quietly sang Happy Birthday to himself. He tried not to think about his mother as his birthday was one of those days that he missed her the most, but shutting down his mind turned out to be impossible. He couldn't stop thinking about her.

Every year, at midnight exactly, Kurt's mother would come into his room and wake him with the most beautiful version of Happy Birthday he'd ever heard, her voice a rich and melodic soprano. He knew that it was stupid to dwell in the past, to think about all the ways his life had changed since his mother's death. It had been so long ago. Still, no matter how long it was, Kurt missed his mother everyday of his life.

Everyone else had moved on; after all, it was years since his death. He knew that he should let go, but sometimes it was too difficult. His father had moved on; he had Carole now, but how was Kurt supposed to move on? Carole was a lovely woman, but she would _never_ be his mother. And maybe it was stupid, and maybe even completely irrational, but Carole was so different, the complete opposite of her, and so much more like his father, that it felt like accepting Carole in his life was just another away of erasing his mother.

Mom had always told him he was special, one of kind, a unique snowflake, just like her. How was he supposed to continue being a unique snowflake without her?

"Mom," Kurt said, turning to his nightstand and addressing his favorite picture of her, "I wish you were here." He picked the picture off the nightstand and cradled it to his chest. "I'm 17 now, Mom. I hope…" Kurt's voice cracked, his throat growing tight. "I hope you're proud of me." He removed the picture from his chest and placed a kiss right on top of his mother's face. "I love you, Mom."

Carefully, he returned his mother's picture to the nightstand and checked the time. 12:35. That should be more than enough time for some messages. He grabbed his phone, quickly checking his texts, email, and facebook wall.

**_No new messages._**

With a loud sigh, Kurt returned his phone to his nightstand and went to sleep.

**: : : :**

The infernal buzzing of Kurt's alarm clock roused him from sleep. Usually, Kurt readjusted his sleeping mask, which no matter how tight he tied it always wound up hanging off his face, squishing his hair in the worst possible way, and then he went straight back to sleep, snoozing his alarm for at least another 15 minutes. Not today. Today, Kurt ripped his sleep mask off and practically jumped out of bed. He had scheduled his alarm a full hour earlier in order to give him time to get ready and have breakfast with his father, as was their morning birthday ritual.

Once out of bed, he stretched his long limbs behind his head; he even pulled the curtains open from his window, allowing the warm rays of sun to streak into the room. Nothing could ruin his mood. After surveying the damage to his hair, Kurt grabbed his phone but quickly put it back on the table, knowing that if he started replying to birthday messages, he would lose too much time. His messages would have to wait until he was out of the shower. That way, he could respond to them while he was moisturizing.

After a soothing hot shower, Kurt dried his hair and placed some anti-frizz serum in it to tame it until he was ready to style. He put on his special birthday outfit, that he had planned out for days, and started teasing his hair. Since it was a special occasion, Kurt decided that he needed to add extra volume to his hair and teased it higher than usual.

Once he was finished, he admired himself in the mirror. His hair was cooperating, not a strand out of place, and his outfit was perfect, giving him the more adult, sophisticated look he had been going for. Finding a suitable outfit in Lima had been a challenge, but when it came to fashion, Kurt had always been a miracle worker. But this time he even surprised himself.

He found a pair of tight black pants that fit him like a second skin and actually made his ass look perky and fantastic. He paired it with a striped dark gray jacket with a black shirt and silver tie. And killer black combat boots from a consignment shop that no one would ever suspect.

Ties were not usually his thing. Kurt preferred bow ties, scarves, or nothing at all strangulating his neck, but today was an exception; he wanted to look mature and even attempted to wink at himself in the mirror. He never had been good at that or particularly confident. But even he had to admit that he looked good. All his hard work had paid off. And then some.

After another long glance in the mirror, he grabbed his phone, ready to return all his birthday wishes with a full fifteen minutes to spare before he had to meet his father.

_**No new messages.**_

Kurt felt his insides twist in protest. The black phone screen mocked him. It had been his birthday for more than seven hours and no one had messaged him yet. He bit down on his bottom lip and tried not to let it bother him, but flashes of déjà vu from past pathetic birthdays filled his mind, before Glee club, before Mercedes and Finn.  
_  
What if they forgot?_ _No._ _They cared about him and it wouldn't happen._

He promptly removed the thought from his mind. It was early. That was all. He wasn't a morning person and neither were most of his friends. They were probably too preoccupied to text this morning and busy working on a surprise for him. Hopefully rehearsing a special number for Glee, and Mercedes was probably decorating his locker.

Ignoring the worry, he put a smile on his face and ran out of his bedroom, closing the door behind him. His surprise at school could wait. Now, he had Bananas Foster French toast at his favorite diner with his father to look forward to instead.

"Dad! Dad!" Kurt cried, as he ran down the stairs, through the living room, and into the kitchen. "Are you ready to go?"

His voice was high pitched and excited, his smile growing wider with each step. When he entered the kitchen and found any empty table, his smile disappeared.

A lone note with his name on it sat on the kitchen table, scrawled in his father's messy handwriting.

Kurt felt his stomach squirm again, and he knew it had nothing to do with his low blood sugar. He opened the letter.

* * *

_Dear Kurt,_

_Happy Birthday! There was a situation down at the garage and they needed me. I had to leave early and won't be able to do breakfast. I left you a twenty, so you can still go. Have a double order of French toast for me and I'll see you tonight for your birthday dinner._

_Love,_  
_Dad_

* * *

Kurt heaved a loud sigh and tried not to be too disappointed. Bananas Foster French Toast at Lulu's was his and his dad's birthday tradition. He knew that his father would never ditch him on purpose, but it still didn't lessen the blow, especially since his day hadn't started the way he wanted.

Oh, well. He still had almost an hour before school started and decided he should go for breakfast anyway. There was no use starving just because his father couldn't come.

**: : : :**

The Lima Bean was crowded like it was every morning. When he entered the shop, the line was practically out the door.

Although Kurt had been craving French Toast, he decided that it would be easier to eat alone at a coffee shop where it was expected rather than a diner. He had never been fond of eating alone. It reminded him too much of middle school where he had been the weird kid with the dead mom. His decision to go to the Lima Bean had nothing to do with a certain Warbler, who stopped there frequently on his way to school.

Kurt supposed that having breakfast with his crush would be an adequate substitute for not seeing his dad. Unlike most kids his age, Kurt actually enjoyed spending time with his dad.

Unfortunately, everyone else had a similar idea that morning. Kurt's face fell as he closed the door behind him and made his way to the line. Even with half an hour to spare, waiting on this ridiculously long line was going to cut it close—and as he made his way through the crowds, he realized that there was no sign of Blaine. Just his luck. He joined the back of the line and tried not to be too impatient. Patience was not once of his virtues.

Once the line finally moved, he caught a glimpse of a familiar blue blazer and smiled. At least some of the Warblers were here. He turned his head more, and there he was, the next person in line to order, Blaine.

_Blaine._ The name just seemed to fall from his lips, like soft, beautiful music. God, even the back of his head was gorgeous. Blaine must have felt him drooling, though, since he turned around and flashed Kurt a brilliant smile.

"Kurt!" Blaine called, waving his arms. "What a surprise? Come here."

He motioned for Kurt to join him. Without responding, Kurt scrambled to the front of the line and Blaine continued beaming at him. He placed his hand on the small of Kurt's back, causing all the nerves in his back to tingle.

"No sense waiting in the back," Blaine said, leaning over and whispering in his ear. "He's with me," he told the barista. "Add a soy chai latte and a blueberry muffin to my order."

Kurt felt himself blushing, having Blaine so close to him, pressing against his lower back overwhelmed him. _God, he smelled good_. Finally, Kurt recomposed himself and dug into his pocket, trying to fetch his wallet. Damn, these pants were tight.

Blaine squeezed his shoulder and smiled again. "Don't worry about it. My treat."

Kurt returned Blaine's smile and tried to protest. "You don't have to—"

"I know, but I want to." Blaine handed the barista a twenty and waited for his change. "Especially today, Birthday Boy."

Kurt's heart started hammering against his chest, his pulse racing. _Birthday Boy?_ That meant that Blaine knew. He remembered. Wait what? When had he ever told Blaine that it was his birthday?

While trying to figure out if he had ever mentioned his birthday before, Blaine finished paying and then linked his arm through Kurt's, dragging him toward the end counter where they waited for their drinks.

"So…how does it feel to be 17?" Blaine asked.

"Erm...great," Kurt answered, snapping out of his daydream. "Thank you for the drink."

"And the muffin."

Kurt raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look. It's your birthday. Have a muffin. You love blueberry."

Kurt pursed his lips. "I do. I'm impressed you remember."

Blaine laughed and then grabbed both drinks that were ready at the counter. "I remember everything about you." He handed Kurt his soy chai. "We're friends."

"Right…friends."

The heat returned to Kurt's cheeks and his stomach twisted again. He hoped that his voice hadn't sounded too disappointed. After all, Blaine had no idea about the insanely huge crush that Kurt harbored on him. Blaine was just friendly. And Gay. And Available.

That was at least better than his last crush, who was straight, dating the most annoying girl in school if not the universe, and now his step brother.

Damn, he had it bad. Kurt tried not to stare at Blaine, but it was difficult not to get lost in those huge hazel eyes, his insanely long lashes. He gulped. _You need to keep it together,_ he thought. _Don't fuck this up._

Biting down on his lower lip, he followed Blaine to an empty table in the corner of the shop, facing the large windows to the street. He plopped down on the closest chair and ignored the stickiness of the tabletop. His thoughts were still engrossed on Blaine, impressed that Blaine had remembered his drink. The soy chai latte was delicious—exactly what he needed this morning, herbaceous and soothing, even if it wasn't full of caffeine.

Blaine sat in the seat to Kurt's right and pulled the chair closer. He told the other Warblers, who had followed them, to go ahead without him and that he would meet up. Keeping the giddy smile off Kurt's face was proving to be a challenge.

"So any big plans for today, Birthday Boy?" Blaine took a large sip of his latte and flashed him another brilliant smile.

Kurt had to remind himself to breath and not get caught up in those eyes and those full lips that were begging to be kissed. God, what was wrong with him today? He'd been hiding his secret for months, but Blaine never had this type of effect on him. Something was different. Could it be that? No, that was ridiculous. It must be the lack of breakfast. It was messing with his head.

He shook his head and snapped out of his daze. "I'm not sure," Kurt said. "I'm having dinner with my dad, Carole, and Finn tonight."

"Sounds fun."

Kurt shrugged. "I suppose. I think Mercedes has some type of surprise for me."

Blaine gave him a knowing, indulgent smile, raising one of those oh-so-sexy dark eyebrows. "And Glee."

"Right."

Kurt felt his cheeks grow warm again. He didn't know what to make of Blaine finishing his sentences. In his eyes, that was such an intimate couple gesture. But he could never tell with Blaine and didn't want to get his hopes up like during Valentine's Day. His heart had already been broken once this year. One heartbreak a year was his quota.

"Well—" Blaine leaned over the table and broke off a piece of Kurt's muffin, plopping it straight into his mouth. "Have an amazing day, Birthday Boy. I have to get going. We have early rehearsal, but you should stay...relax—". He narrowed his eyes and motioned at the muffin with a quick head tilt. "_Eat _your muffin."

Then he got up from the chair and gave Kurt's shoulder a squeeze. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye," Kurt called, yelling at Blaine's retreating figure. "Thanks again for the drink." He paused for a moment and stared down at his latte as if it held all the answers. "And the muffin," he whispered.

He swore that he heard Blaine chuckle as he walked out the door, but it could have been his imagination. Of course, Kurt would have liked Blaine to stay and share breakfast with him, but just remembering his birthday and buying him breakfast was more than enough.

Maybe things were finally looking up for him.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**A/N**: Thank you so much for reading! This is my first Klaine fic, so I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially because I just had to make stuff up about my head!canon Kurt's Mom since she doesn't even have a name on the show.

Reviews make my day and the next part will be posted soon.

Have a great weekend!

~Icicle


	2. The Worst Birthday Ever

**Title:** The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

**Author:** Icicle33

**Pairings:** Kurt/Blaine, Rachel/Finn (side)

**Rating**: T

**Warnings:** Season 2 AU, m/m slash, adult language, angst, and some slight Finchel bashing

**Disclaimer:** Glee characters are the property of Ryan Murphy and Fox. I do not own them in anyway and no profit is being made from this story. Don't sue me!

**Summary: ** _Kurt's 17th birthday is approaching. He knows that things are going to be different this year, better. Something good is coming his way, hopefully in the form of a new Warbler boyfriend. He's counting on his best friends to make his birthday unforgettable._

**Author's note: **Thank you so much to everyone who has read, followed and reviewed the first chapter of this story! I was so happy with the response so far that I decided to update early.

**Remember**, that in this AU Kurt never transferred to Dalton. Carole and Burt are already married, but Finn and Kurt still have some issues to work through. Mercedes is already dating Shane, and although Rachel already thinks of Kurt as a friend, he secretly can't stand her.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Part 2: The Worst Birthday Ever**

**: : : :**

Kurt didn't show up to school until five minutes before the first bell rang. People watching at the Lima Bean alone was not as amusing as he would have liked it to be. However, he didn't want to get to school too early and ruin whatever surprise his friends were planning. Knowing Mercedes, she was probably decorating his locker with glitter, Diva pictures, and feathers. _Always feathers._

For about a minute, Kurt would pretend to be offended and lecture Mercedes about stereotypes (even if he secretly loved the glitter and feathers), but then he'd thank her and they'd take pictures with tiaras and boas. Kurt needed a new facebook picture anyway. It was going to be fabulous.

Holding his head high, Kurt strolled down the hallway and toward his locker. He hadn't been this excited to go to school since the first day of Glee. Not even the group of annoying jocks he met in the hallway soured his mood. He flashed them a brilliant smile and even said, "Good Morning." The confused looks on their faces were worth whatever retaliation he'd have to deal with in the future.

As he reached his own locker though, his grin faded. It was gray, bare, just like all the other lockers. Not a single decoration in sight—as if it were any other ordinary morning. The only difference was that Finn and Rachel were hanging out by his locker. Well, more like making out by his locker. Finn had Rachel pinned up against the locker adjacent to his, and Rachel had her hands around his neck, both of them trying to eat each other's tonsils.

Even though he no longer had feelings for Finn, his stomach still protested at watching them slobber all over each other. He walked up behind them and cleared his throat loudly.

"Ahem. You might want to think about getting a room. Some of us are _actually_ here to learn."

Finn and Rachel detangled themselves almost instantaneously. Finn tilted his head back and laughed, but Rachel looked horrified. Two deep scarlet patches formed on her cheeks.

"Sorry man," Finn said, still smiling. "We were actually looking for you."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "You were?" he asked, surprised.

"We were," Rachel said with a sheepish grin. "Happy Birthday Kurt!" she added, in a singsong voice.

Finn stepped closer to Kurt and then slapped him on the back. "Yeah, Happy Birthday, bro."

Kurt tried not to flinch from Finn's touch, instead holding his breath. Finn may be his brother now, but Kurt still avoided touching him whenever possible and felt even more uncomfortable when Finn initiated the touch. Yes, Finn had apologized several times for their argument last year, but even if Kurt had forgiven him, he would never be able to _forget_.

"Don't touch me," is not the type of response he ever wanted to hear from his brother or any of his male friends. It reminded him of how different he was, how much of a freak he was, and how no one loved him. Yet, he tried not to make a big deal about it with Finn. Ever since their fight, Finn had been trying hard to be a good brother and friend. It was Kurt's issue _not_ his.

Before Kurt could respond, Rachel threw her arms around him. "Since your seventeen now, which is a very special birthday—and we're friends now...I got you a present," Rachel mumbled into Kurt's neck.

Kurt wanted to laugh. Although he might tolerate Rachel and respect her talent, they were definitely _not _friends. She was still the most annoying girl on the planet, with that grating, nasal voice, and her overbearing diva complex.

"Thanks," Kurt said, when Rachel finally released him. She thrust a neatly wrapped silver box at him, pink bow and all.

Rachel beamed and nodded at him, urging him to open the gift.

Kurt unwrapped the package, no longer feeling so resentful of Rachel, until he saw what was inside.

"A picture...of _you_." Kurt held up the picture of a smiling Rachel.

Rachel beamed even wider and Finn smiled too, gazing at Rachel with a besotted look. Damn, Finn had it bad too, if he really thought this was an appropriate gift.

"Not just any picture of me, silly," Rachel explained. "It's in a star frame because I'm a star. And you can be too, Kurt. If…you put your mind to it." She paused. "Think of it as inspiration. You can hang it in your locker."

Finn nodded stupidly, clearly approving the bizarre present.

Kurt pursed his lips and tried to keep his face expressionless. "Thank you."

Rachel threw her arms around his neck again, squeezing him tighter. "I'm so glad we're friends now, Kurt Hummel."

"Right."

"Well, we better get going," Rachel said, "so we're not late for homeroom."

Kurt tried to twist his lips into a fake smile. _Strike two_. First, no breakfast with his father, and now no decorated locker. His 17th birthday was not turning out like he planned. At all.

**: : : :**

The rest of the school day passed by excruciatingly slow. Kurt tried not to be too upset that none of this other friends had remembered his birthday. No one else had brought it up since Rachel and Finn.

Mercedes had been suspiciously absent from homeroom and even late to first period. He supposed that her tardiness was the reason why his locker was undecorated, but even during lunch, Mercedes had not mentioned his birthday. The only possible explanation was that she had been pretending to forget on purpose. Perhaps she was hiding a surprise that was going to happen during Glee.

He was almost dying of anticipating. Glee rehearsal could not come quickly enough.

When it was finally time for Glee, Mercedes and Kurt walked side by side to the choir room. A big yellow sign greeted them, messily scrawled and half hanging off the door.

**Glee Rehearsal Canceled**

"What?" Kurt asked. "Where's Mr. Shue?"

"I think he's sick," Artie said, who wheeled up behind him and Mercedes. "At least that's what the sub said in Spanish class."

Kurt tried not to act too distraught. The universe really was against him. Whatever surprise the Glee club had set up for him was ruined.

"Yeah, he didn't look that hot yesterday." Mercedes shrugged. "Oh, well. At least we get the day off."

"Absolutely not," a high-pitched annoying voice said behind them. "Just because Mr. Shue is not here does not mean we can slack off. We have songs to work on. New numbers to be written!"

"_Yeah, right_." Puck leaned on the doorway of the choir room and rolled his eyes, trying much too hard to be the bad boy his reputation preceded. "Count me in."

"Where did you come from?" Rachel asked.

He winked at her. "Your dreams, baby."

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "Gross."

"Come on, don't be that way. We were hot…once upon a time. Two hot Jews—"

"I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot—"

"Puckerman, back off! That's my girlfriend you're talking about." Finn appeared behind Rachel and put a protective hand on her shoulder.

"I was just kidding, man. No harm done." Puckerman offered Finn his most innocent smile.

"Boys, boys, there's no sense—"

A tug on Kurt's arm distracted him from watching the drama unfolding. This was better than the afternoon soaps he was recording.

"Come on," Mercedes said, tugging on his arm a little harder, "let's go out of here before those three notice."

"But shouldn't we?"

"No." She smiled at him wickedly. "Let's go to the diner. I've got the car today. I have to talk to you."

Without a second glance at the newest Finchel drama, Kurt walked away, being thankful that his best friend was saving the day.

**: : : :**

Driving to the diner was uneventful. The weather was pleasant, cloudy but warm, so Mercedes rolled down the windows of her truck. Kurt wasn't fond of Mercedes' truck, "The Green Goblin", as they had named it, but the rolled down windows was the closest that he'd ever come to having wind fly in his hair from a convertible. Not many people had convertibles in Lima.

Mercedes grinned as she put on the radio. She shuffled through the awful radio stations that Lima had to offer and finally settled on a year old Kelly Clarkson song, which was playing on the Today's Newest Hits Station.

_Newest hits my ass_, Kurt thought.

The song choice didn't appear to bother Mercedes though, she started singing at the top of her lungs, blowing Kelly out of the water, and making Kurt laugh. He still wasn't sure why Mercedes was acting so strange. But at least it was amusing.

He tried to ask. "What do you want to talk about?"

But she dismissed him. "Not yet. At the diner."

Kurt's heart started fluttering against his chest again, his stomach flip-flopping. What was left of his hopes were starting to lift, but at this point, he didn't want to risk anything.

When they arrived at the diner, they sat at their usual booth and Mercedes quickly ordered them two strawberry milkshakes.

"Don't you dare protest, Hummel, your scrawny ass could use the calories." Mercedes smacked her lips. "Besides, today is a _special_ occasion."

Kurt blinked rapidly. "Really now?"

"Absolutely." She called after the waitress. "Actually, can you bring us a plate of disco fries too."

"Gross."

Mercedes scoffed. "It's not my problem you don't know good food. Cheese and gravy on fries is delicious."

"Right...so what did you want to talk to me about?" Kurt asked, playing coy.

"Well, it's about Shane."

Kurt frowned, creasing his forehead and brow. He knew that Mercedes was head-over-heels for Shane, but really, he didn't want to talk about him. Again.

"Yeah, well, we're getting really close. And—I think it might be time to..."

"Seriously?" Kurt crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Enough with the games, Mercedes. Every other word out of your mouth has been Shane lately. We talked about him all during lunch. I know you're trying to trick me or whatever, but that's enough. Where's my surprise?"

Mercedes looked confused, blinking her dark deep-set eyes. "Surprise?"

Kurt scoffed. "Come on, that's really enough. I'm dying to know. You've kept me on edge all day. Where is it? I can't wait a second longer." Kurt waved his arms, gesturing around the entire booth. "My _big_ birthday surprise."

Mercedes eyes grew owlish and her jaw dropped. "Birthday?" she squeaked. "What are you talking about today's only the twenty—"

"Twenty-seventh."

"It can't...I didn't—" Mercedes reached across the table and cupped Kurt's hand. "I'm soooo sorry, Kurt. I can't believe I forgot. I've been so distracted—"

"Stop it," Kurt cried, cringing at how desperate his voice sounded. "This isn't funny. Joke is over. Bring the surprise."

Mercedes closed her eyes. "It's not a joke. There is no surprise. I wish I could tell you that I was." She shook her head and sighed heavily. "I'll make sure to make it up to you tomorrow. I promise."

Kurt snatched his arm away from Mercedes, retracting as if he had been scalded by a hot beverage. Tears threatened to fill his eyes; his chest started to throb. It couldn't be. This wasn't happening. _Strike Three._

He heard what Mercedes had said; the words couldn't be clearer. But it couldn't be true. His friend, his best friend in the entire world, had been so busy with her new boyfriend that she had forgotten his birthday.

When he thought that the Glee club had forgotten his birthday, he'd been upset, but he never imagined that Mercedes of all people could have forgotten. This was devastating.

"I can't believe you! I thought...I thought..." Kurt closed his eyes and choked down the tears. "Forget it," Kurt growled. "Just go back to your boyfriend and leave me alone. I don't want anything tomorrow. My birthday is today _not_ tomorrow."

"Kurt, wait..it's not like that."

"It's _exactly_ like that, Mercedes. You haven't had the time for me in ages. I've been supportive because you're my friend. But I thought—today of all days—we could actually spend some time together. Stupid me."

He got up from the booth and threw a balled up five dollar bill on the table.

"Thanks for the milkshake," he grumbled. "Call me, when you aren't too busy sucking face with your boyfriend."

Before the tears welled up in his eyes, Kurt ran out of the diner, hoping his exit was more of a diva storm out than childish hissy fit.

**: : : :**

Kurt ran. As fast as he could. Regardless of his uncomfortable shoes or the possibility of messing up his hair. For someone who was always concerned about his appearance, Kurt hated running and exercise in general. He hated getting sweaty and gross, and never found any pleasure in that ridiculous runner's high that everyone always talked about.

But none of that mattered. All he could think about was getting as far away from Mercedes and that diner as possible. He ran and ran and ran until he made it home. Luckily, Carole and his father were still at work. Finn wasn't in his room either, probably still sucking face with Rachel or beating up Puck. Thank God. For once, he was thankful that he was home alone. Sometimes the solitude felt suffocating, but right now it was freeing and welcoming.

He ran up the stairs, changed out of his birthday outfit, and plopped down on his bed, hiding beneath the warmth and comfort of his down comforter and pillows. None of this made sense. He couldn't believe it was happening. Again. He thought that things were different in High School—that he had friends, people who cared about him—but the truth was that 17 or not, he was the same loser he'd always been.

His own best friend had forgotten his birthday. That was how little Kurt mattered, how little impact he made on anyone at school. The tears that he had been choking down, holding in as fiercely as he could, finally spilled. Hot tears clouded his eyes and streaked his cheeks.

_Some birthday._ _Happy Birthday to me. La fucking da._

His entire mind filled with self-deprecating thoughts that he usually tried to ignore. Thoughts about not being good enough, about how no one could love a fag, not even the only other gay boy he knew wanted him.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he ruffled through his bed covers, looking for his stereo remote control. Once he finally found it, he blasted the Les Mis soundtrack, which he had on speed play on his iPod. He closed his eyes and started humming along, tears still silently falling and staining his pillowcase.

A nap and Les Mis could fix anything. Or at least that was what his mother always used to say. He hoped she was right.

**To be continued...**

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** A/N: **Thank you so much for reading and supporting my first Klaine fic! Don't kill me for making poor Kurt suffer. I promise things will get better for him and the Klaine is coming! I'll post a new chapter next week.

If you're celebrating any holidays this weekend, have a wonderful holiday.

Reviews make my day!

~**Icicle**

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**Guest Review Responses (ch.1):**

If you leave me a signed/registered review, I'll make sure to respond by pm. However, if you leave a guest or anon review, I'll respond at the end of the next chapter.

**Gleekz4life**: Thank you for your comment! You can definitely give Kurt a hug. I want to give him one too. You'll probably want to give him another one after reading this chapter.

**Guest 1**: Thank you for taking the time to comment!

**Guest 2**: Thank you for taking the time to comment! I'm glad you are enjoying it and I hope I posted the next part quickly enough for you.


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